Better pay would fill farm labour shortage, say campaigners

A food and farming campaign group has called for better pay and conditions to help fill a labour shortage in agriculture.

The Sustain alliance said a new body was needed in England to negotiate wages and better conditions for agriculture workers.

Their call comes days after Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn promise to reinstate the Agricultural Wages Board (AWB), which used to set farm wage rates in England.

See also: Labour pledges to boost farm pay and conditions

The Unite union, which represents farmworkers, supports Mr Corbyn’s pledge.

But the NFU has warned that recent pay increases – combined with volatility and Brexit uncertainty – are already making it hard for some farm sectors to remain competitive.

Sustain said English agriculture workers were vulnerable to unfavourable wages in a market that failed to value employees as vital contributors to the food chain.

It wants a new body to be part of the government’s UK Agriculture Bill due later this year.

‘Real crisis’

Sustain campaign co-ordinator Vicki Hird said: “We are facing a real crisis in [recruiting and retaining] farmworkers, so it makes sense to reconsider how they are able to secure decent wages, conditions and development opportunities.”

A new briefing from Sustain summarises the state of farm employment, the loss of the AWB and what the group says a new system would mean for farmers and workers.

Brexit has already made it more difficult for farmers to recruit and retain farmworkers because of the fall in value of sterling and a more hostile climate for migrant workers.

Some farmers are already seeing unpicked crops go to waste, while others are planning to move their businesses abroad, or has done so already.

The Sustain briefing – called “Why would anyone want to pick our crops?” – argues that a new approach is needed to attract, keep and nurture workers.

It says this should include the establishment of a new collective bargaining body to protect existing workers and enhance the status of farmwork to attract recruits into the industry.

Regulate market

Markets should be regulated to ensure farmers can earn sufficient income from trading to meet the costs and working environment that result from decent pay and conditions, says the briefing.

Deals and pricing in the food supply chain needs to be regulated to ensure fair incomes for suppliers, including farmers and growers, and therefore those working for them, it adds.

Ms Hird said the AWB had provided an easy tool for farmers to calculate wages and a level playing field for businesses and employees.

She added: “It needs to be reinstated, otherwise who will want to pick our crops?”

The union Unite said it strongly welcomed Sustain’s call for a new collective bargaining body to negotiate pay and conditions for agricultural workers. Unite assistant general secretary Diana Holland said: “Food security is essential to us all, and Unite is clear, we need safe, healthy food and high-quality jobs.”

But the NFU said many farm businesses could ill afford further pay rises following an increase in the national living wage to £7.83/hour in April for workers older than 25.

NFU president Minette Batters said: “Recent weather events, combined with the weakness of the pound, have led to increases in farm input costs.

“It is likely these cost pressures will continue for the remainder of the year, at a time when some parts of agriculture are already experiencing lower farmgate prices.”